In 1898, Clarence Stowell, Frank Bacheldor, and Dana Merril founded Iota Phi on the University of Maine campus. In the year 1900 they applied for membership to the national fraternity of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. After being denied once, they reapplied in 1901 with the help of William C. Levere - an outstanding brother and a model American - they were granted membership. The current chapter house was built in 1904, still standing after many renovations. In the fall of 2002 there was an accidental fire. While the sprinklers put it out, there was much water damage. The house was brought up to fire code, and in the fall of 2003 the brothers moved back in. During the spring of 2004, Maine Alpha celebrated the grand reopening of the house on the hundredth year of it being built. The dining room was dedicated to John T. Senter, an honor initiate and former cook for the Maine Alpha house. Other Honorary Brothers for Maine Alpha are Dick Hooker VTBE, Thomas Haber MEAL, and Kevin Neumann NYEP.

--Derrick Gilbert MEAL '08